7 réponses à ce sujet

[magicwins]

I read somewhere that this was being planned as a replacement to the old system, where you actually asked decent questions and got answers, as opposed to clicking on random trees and statues. Is this true?

[David Gaider]

Snoteye wrote...]There's a veritable army of those already, I doubt the promise of a few more would deter them.

That's correct. "Backlash" here on the forums is a tempest in a teapot, all things considered.

However, Awakening's system was an experiment in an effort to get rid of the "campfire round" so many of their games suffer from -- I doubt they would reuse the system directly but I expect they will not simply reuse the old system either.

Indeed. The experiment in Awakening didn't quite do what we wanted, but that doesn't mean just going back and doing the old thing. You are not clicking on random objects to initiate dialogue in DA2, but you're also not initiating camp-style DAO dialogues anywhere with followers... you can only talk to them like that in their home base.

How much of an improvement it is, we'll see. As always, some people will hate it and some will love it... and what parts of it work we'll bring to the next game beyond. That parts of it that don't, we'll abandon.

[Mary Kirby]

Snoteye wrote...
The first time you enter Redcliffe, Alistair initiates dialogue (or does he just ask you to?). Are interactions like those gone, too, or is it only the personal stuff that has been restricted to private quarters?

It means that you're not going to be able to stop in the middle of a dungeon and ask Varric to tell you about dwarves. He can still start a conversation wherever he likes, when it's appropriate.

[David Gaider]

Siradix wrote...
I think the problem had to deal with having to know what random object in the world to click on with which character in your group to trigger a scene. And that it was the only way to gain approval besides spamming the companion with gifts.

That's essentially it. In retrospect, were we to do it again I think we'd probably have "conversation points" where you could engage a follower in dialogue-- but not simply that specific placeable only for one specific follower. Behavior-wise it encourages players to revisit old areas and hunt for dialogues they may have missed, which was not the intent.

The other element, of course, was simply that Awakening had a lot less dialogue overall-- which some people confuse for the system itself. They're not the same things. If Awakening had a larger word budget it probably wouldn't have been quite such a problem, but then we'd likely have implemented it differently as well. Any system we create needs to exist in the context of the project we're working on.

Insofar as the DA2 system goes, the other difference from DAO to keep in mind is you still won't get the "laundry list of questions". You can engage the follower in dialogue at their home base if they have something to say. Generally you will be notified when this is possible (via the journal system), so there's less need to keep visiting every follower's base to check and re-check if they have a conversation waiting. If you click on them at other times (or outside of their base) they will have contextual comments based on where you are or what you're doing, but there won't be a full cinematic conversation.

[David Gaider]

Felfenix wrote...
The way I see it, it sounds like we'll be told whenever there is new dialog. In ME2, we were only told when somebody wanted to give us a loyalty mission.

Right. The notification, as I said, is in your journal-- so it pops up just like you've been given a new quest. It's not an in-game notification.

nightcobra8928 wrote...
how about other non-combat areas like towns or settlements?

will companions be on this "contextual comments based on where you are or what you're doing" mode in such areas?

Combat/non-combat has nothing to do with it. "They only engage in full cinematic conversations with you in their home base, or if they initiate the dialogue themselves" means just that.

Modifié par David Gaider, 05 janvier 2011 - 11:54 .

[David Gaider]

Chaia wrote...
Probably, I think it will be like in DAO when something was added to your codex/journal, you got a little temporary pop-up notice at the side of the screen.

Correct.

Lilacs wrote...
In Jade Empire, when a companion desires
to speak with you an arrow is shown above his or her head. So in DA II
it will be in your journal just like a quest. When a new quest is opened
in DAO, it is shown on the world map, blinking, and you cannot miss it.

I don't remember if being directed to a follower's home base shows up on the world map or not. Most quests do, if there's a specific place where you're being directed. The quest arrow also shows up over your follower's head, I think, but only once you're inside their base (and only if you haven't disabled the helpers on the options menu).

Modifié par David Gaider, 06 janvier 2011 - 12:53 .

[David Gaider]

Xewaka wrote...
I believe you mentioned some time ago that followers might also appear at Hawke's home if a plot point or conversation deemed it neccesary. Does it still apply or was it canned during crunching time?

No, that still applies.

[David Gaider]

The Gentle Ben wrote...

I edited my earlier post with some additional thoughts along these lines, but I think a potential concern is what serves to trigger additional conversations? Is it level? Approval/Rivalry? Plot Progression?

We gate the conversations by various means, though one of the primary ways are the time jumps. Those nicely segment the game as well as your growing relationship with your followers. Whatever the means, the notifications exist to reduce the need to "make rounds".

I've noticed that conversation continuously changes in BioWare games. Each one they do a little differently to address a problem they've found in the last one, and each one introduces its own problems.

This is true. I have no doubt there will be issues with this one-- in fact, I already know of some (hindsight is always a boon as well as a curse). I suppose it's a matter of continuously trying to evolve and figure out what you can live with and what you can't. I doubt we'll ever strike on anything that's "perfect", which is pretty subjective anyhow.

They keep going round and round trying to find their 'perfect' conversation system. It's like Sysaphis.

I assume you mean Sisyphus. Unless Sisyphus had syphilis, which would be sad.